Retort oven



June 23, 1931. K. GEISSEN ETAL 1,811,544

RETORT OVEN 8 Filed Jan. 8. 1926 2 Sheets-Sheet 1 v 2.3 y T h 7 3 5m 2 f 4 6 7 2s 72 9- 4 46 :5 6

June 23, 1931. GEISSEN ETAL 1,811,544

RETOFQT ovzm Filed Jan. 8. 1926 2 Sheets-Sheet 2 M? Vs g j I Q j I z i Q i s F 18 WWWWMMM Patented June 23, 1931 UNITED STATES PATENT OFFICE KARL GEISSEN,' OF BERLIN-ZEHLENDOBF,

AND VERNER VORBRODT, 0F SPANDA'U,

NEAR BERLIN, GERMANY, ASSIGNORS, BY MESNE ASSIGNMENTS, TO KOHLENVERED- LUNG .AKTIENGESELLSCHAFT, OF BERLIN, GERMANY Ramona. oven Application filed January 8, 1926, Serial No. 79,996, and in Germany January 8, 1925.

Our invention relates, to improvements in retort ovens adapted for the heat treatment of coal and bituminous substances, whereby low temperature tar, industrial gases and half coke are produced. The novel oven is, however, also adapted for all other kinds of heat treatment and for all other goods, for instance for the drying of brown coal 'or granular matter such as corn. It is more reliable in operation and has a greater output and higher efiiciency than similar ovens hitherto used.

In the drawings aflixed to this specification and forming part thereof a retort oven embodying our invention is illustrated diagrammatically by way of example.

In the drawings Fig. 1 is an axial section, while Fig. 2 illustrates a detail on a larger scale.

Referring to the drawings, 1 is the retort which is heated by hot gases or the like from within and transmits this. heat directly to the material deposited on or traveling in contact with the outer surface thereof. The retort being closed on top by a hood 2, has bell shape. It is mounted for rotation about its vertical axis on a turn table 3 by means of rollers 4, and, being freely supported thereon without contacting with any other part of the oven, is free to expand both in axial and transverse directions. The retort Wall is'corrugated as shown in the drawings and guide rings 5 with inner funnel-shaped flanges 5 encircle the retort, these flanges serving for guiding the goods on their descent. 6 is the heat insulating outer shell of the oven, in the top part of which is mounted a hopper 7 for charging in the ma terial to be treated. The shell 6 with the parts supporting it and which shall be described later on rests on standards 8 which are mounted on the foundation 9. Into the burner 13.

retort 1 extends from. below a fire-clay cylinder 10 serving at the same time for guiding the heating ases and for storing and radiating heat. Tn the middle andtop portions of the fire-clay cylinder 10 are mounted fire grids 11 and 12. Into the bottom part of the cylinder extends from below the gas The goods to be treated and which are charged into the retort above the conical hood 2 descend through the gap between the outer surface of the corrugated retort wall and the guide rings 5 and flanges 5 the rate of downward movement being determined by the angle of slope of the flanges and the corrugations of the wall. In the bottom portion of the ovenv the material passes the annular plate 14 fixed to the retort.

When the retort is set rotating, for instance by means of a worm 43 or by suitable other means, the heat-treated material rest ing on the plate 14 is thrown off by adjustable blades 16 into an annular channel 17, to be caught there by the shovels 18 suspended from the plate 14 and projecting into this channel, which push the material towards the outlet 19 leading to the cooler 20. We prefer employing resilient shovels or shovels resiliently mounted, so as to enable them to give way to stones or the like admixed to the material treated. To this end and for other purposes we preferably subdivide the shovels into juxtaposed strips 36 (Fig. 2).

As shown in the drawings, the hood 2 is lined internally with fire-clay, fire-bricks or the like, the lining adjoining the metallic hood preferably consisting of a heatinsulating material supported by a fire-clay bridge. In. this manner the metallic hood 2 is protected against the heat of the flames. However, if the material to be treated is cold or owing to its moist condition or the like requires so much heat at the beginning in contact with it, this lining can be dispensed with altogether and in this case the surface of the hood is utilized as a heating surface also.

As shown in the drawings the retort 1 is built up from a number of superposed rings, but it might as well be formed of a few large castings connected by screw bolts or the like. Preferably the rings are braced by vertical ribs 44. f

The turntable 3 is centred by guide rollers 22. The guide rings 5 may be interconnected by screw bolts such as 45, but they may also be replaced by larger castings or sheet metal shapes replacing three or more rings and made in two semi-cylindrical parts in order to allow them to be mounted in place around the retort.

The gases and vapors developed from the material under treatment escape through slots such as 46 provided in the guide rings 5 and rising in the annular space enclosed between the rings and the outer shell 6 leave the oven through lateral openings 24 leading to a main not shown. This arrange ment renders a cracking of the vapors impossible inasmuch as the Vapors are free to escape directly after their formation into the colder annular'zone enclosed between the rings 5 and the shell 6.

A fractionating of the gases or vapors can be effected by the insertion of a partition 25 between the rings 5 and shell 6. Although in the drawings only a single partition is shown, several such partitions may be provided at difierent levels and the gases or vapors developed in the different zones of the retort are then collected separately.

The guide rings 5 as well as the shell 6 are protected against losses of heat by insulating linings 26. If desirable, similar protective means may be provided around the bottom part of the oven including the channel 17.

The shell and guide rings rest on a ring 27 having an inner annular conduit into which can be introduced gases, vapors or the like from without through an opening 28, if it is desired to expedite the expulsion of the gases and vapors of distillation. The ring member 27 rests on the bottom part embodying the annular channel 17 and supported by the standards 8 so as to be freely movable, being centred thereon by means of radially extending bolts or the like (not shown). By lifting orlowering the system of rings 5 by means of screw-bolts 29, the width of the gaps between the rings and the retort can be varied.

To the gas burner 13, producer gas, distillation gases or the like are supplied through a pipe 30 entering the gas tube 32 through a nozzle 31, while the primary air required for combustion can be supplied by means of the slide 33. The secondary air enters through openings 34 of variable diameter. The gas pipe 32 is surmounted by the burner proper 13, from which the gas escapes in radial directionin order to mix with the secondary air. The fire bridges 11 and 12 mounted above the burner serve for effecting an intimate mixture of gas and air. They further serve for preventing an interruption of the combustion even at a very high velocity of flow of the mixture of gas and air. This mixture isalways ignited afresh in contact with the incandescent lire bridges, even at a very high velocity of flow, which may exceed the velocity of ignition.

Preferably these fire bridges are not fixed in the cylinder but are loosely inserted in;

order to prevent their bursting the fireclay cylinder 10, when expanding.

The gases of combustion. rise within the cylinder 10 and on. escaping at its top travel in the opposite direction descending in the annular space enclosed between this cylinder and the retort 1. They escape through the flue 35 below the retort.

The fireclay cylinder 10 being heated by the hot gases transfers the heat by radiation. to the retort wall and to the material in contact with it. The cylinder 10 is corrugated on its outer side in accordance with the corrugations formed in the retort wall, in order to force the heating gases to descend in intimate contact with the tube and to create a whirling of the heating gases for the purpose of obtaining a perfect transmission of heat.

The heat economy of this oven is a very favorable one also for the reason that its outer parts are comparatively cold and can easily be protected against losses of heat by radiation. Furthermore all the heat is forced to traverse the material under treatment in radial direction towards the outside.

We wish it to be understood that we do not desire to be limited to the exact details of construction shown and described for obvious modifications will occur to a person skilled in the art.

We claim 1. Retort oven comprising an outershell a vertical tubular inner shell within the same and entirely closed save at the bottom end and supported solely at the bottom end, apertured means for guiding the material to be treated in contact with the outer surface of said inner shell, and means for guiding heating gases in downward direction in contact with the inner surface of said inner shell and means for taking off gas from the material treated.

2. Retort oven comprising an outer shell a vertical tubular inner shell within the same and entirely closed save at the bottom end and supported solely at the bottom end, means for guiding the material to be treated in contact with the outer surface of said inner shell, heating means extending into said inner shell from below and a gas exhaust port in the bottom end of said inner shell.

3. Retort oven comprising an outer shell. a vertical tubular inner shell within the same and entirely closed save at the bottom end and supported solely at the bottom end, means for guiding the material to be treated in contact with the outer surface of said inner shell, a refractory cylinder open at 'the top and concentrically arranged in and spaced from said inner shell, means 1' or introducing hot gases into the bottom ml of said cylinder from below and a gas ex haust port in the bottom end of said inner shell.

4. Retort oven comprising a base, an outer shell a vertical tubular inner shell within the same and entirely closed save at the bottom end and supported solely at the bottom end, means for guiding the material to be treated in contact with the outer surface of said inner shell, a refractory cylinder open at the top and concentrically arranged in' and spaced from said inner shell, a refractory grid removably mounted in said .cylinder, means for introducing hot gases into the bottom end of said cylinder and a gas exhaust port in the bottom end of said inner shell.

5. Retort oven comprising an outer shell a vertical tubular inner shell within the same and entirely closed save at the bottom end tion in contact with the inner surface of said inner shell, yielding expeller blades secured to, the bottom end of the outer wall of said inner shell and an annular chamber surrounding. said bottom end and enclosing said blades.

6. Retort oven comprising an outer shell a vertical tubular inner shell within the same and entirely closed save at the bottom end for free rotation about its axis and supported solely at the bottom end, means for guiding the material to be treated in contact with the outer surface of said inner shell, means for guiding heating gases in downward direction in contact with the inner surface of said inner shell, yielding expeller blades exchangeably secured to the bottom end of the outer wall of said inner shell and an annular chamber surrounding said bottom end and enclosing said blades.

7 Retort oven supported on a foundation comprising an outer shell a vertical tubular inner shell within the same and entirely closed save at the bottom end for free rotation about its axis and supported solely at the bottom end, rollers interposed between said bottom end and said foundation, means for guiding the material to be treated in contact with the outer surface of said inner shell and means for guiding heating gases in downward direction in contact with the inner surface of said inner shell.

8. Retort oven comprising a vertical tubular inner shell entirely closed save at the bottom and supported solely at the bottom end, a refractory cylinder concentrically a1,- ranged in and spaced from said inner shell, a gas burner extending into said cylinder, apertured means for guiding material to be treated in contact with the outer surface of said inner shell, an outer shell surrounding and spaced from the apertured guiding means, an exhaust port in the outer shell, means for causing rotation of said inner shell about its axis and the outer wall of blades attached to said inner shell externally thereof and at the lower part thereof and extending radially thereof.

In testimony whereof we afiix our signa- 

